Stardom predicted for former Commanders' draft pick in 2026

For some reason, former Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. could never do enough to impress general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. The 25-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Commanders in the 2023 NFL Draft. Of course, that pick was made by the previous regime.

In limited opportunities as a rookie, Rodriguez carried the ball 51 times for 247 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. When Peters and Quinn arrived in 2024, Rodriguez appeared like a good bet to make Washington's 2024 roster, but he was waived during final cuts. He was quickly re-signed to the practice squad.

During the 2024 season, Rodriguez was elevated to the main roster and played a critical role in Washington's Week 9 win over the Giants, carrying the ball 11 times for 53 yards. He was signed to the 53-man roster, waived again and re-signed to the practice squad. He would return to the active roster, carrying the ball 13 times for a career-high 94 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Titans. He'd finish his second NFL season by appearing in nine games, during which he carried the ball 35 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

Last offseason, coaches praised Rodriguez's offseason work, and this time, he made the 53-man roster. He appeared in 13 games, making seven starts, finishing with 500 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Both were career highs. He also averaged 4.5 yards per rush.

This offseason, Rodriguez was a restricted free agent. The Commanders chose not to tender him, making him an unrestricted free agent. He didn't remain a free agent for long, as the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him to a two-year, $10 million deal with $6.2 million guaranteed.

Jacksonville knew Rodriguez well. Head coach Liam Coen was Kentucky's offensive coordinator in 2021, when Rodriguez was a junior running back. He was outstanding that season, earning second-team All-SEC honors after rushing for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns.

Washington made many changes in the backfield this offseason. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round steal last season who led the Commanders with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in a part-time role, returns. So does veteran Jeremy McNichols. Washington allowed Rodriguez and veteran Austin Ekeler to depart. Peters brought in Rachaad White, who is expected to be Croskey-Merritt's primary competition for carries. The Commanders also signed Jerome Ford and drafted Kaytron Allen.

Why not keep Rodriguez? Every time his number was called, he delivered. He was an excellent short-yardage runner who did not fumble, making him an excellent option late in games. He also worked hard to improve his speed over the last two years and helped out on special teams. It didn't make sense that the Commanders didn't appreciate Rodriguez more.

Could Washington's loss be Jacksonville's gain? That's what Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon thinks. Gagnon made eight bold predictions for training camp, and one was that Rodriguez would become a star for the Jaguars.

Rodriguez has been generating buzz throughout his first offseason with his former coach at Kentucky after quietly averaging a strong 4.6 yards per carry in Washington and scoring seven touchdowns in 2025.

The gently-used 25-year-old led qualified NFC backs with 3.0 yards per carry after contact last season, which is a sign he could be on the verge of a breakout campaign with a larger workload in Florida.

That could start with a killer August as Rodriguez returns from a foot injury and easily wins the competition for the RB1 job in camp and the preseason.

Jacksonville also has the promising Bhayshul Tuten in the backfield, but the Jags clearly have a defined role in mind for Rodriguez.

Things may work out for both sides in this situation. Rodriguez goes to a place where he should be better appreciated, and the Commanders feature a shared backfield of Croskey-Merritt, White and Allen as the primary backs. But it still makes you wonder how and why Peters and Quinn didn't view Rodriguez the same way after he produced for them every time his number was called.

Could this one come back to haunt Washington? We shall see.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Stardom predicted for former Commanders' draft pick in 2026